Tag: Gaming

Digital game sales are inevitable, so it’s natural that everyone wants to get the jump on the competition as best they can. Starting at 00:01 UTC on November 21, Green Man Gaming will throw their hat into the ring of chaos for PC gamers.

While some companies kind of just throw it all against the wall, GMG has taken a fresher approach to see what buyers and fans were avidly waiting for, focusing their sale from a massive catalog reduction to just over 150 franchises that stuck out the most from eager players. It’s new, it’s fresh and it’s from about 35 publishers including Bandai Namco, Ubisoft, 2K Games, and Bethesda. Fans can expect deeper discounts (usually on older titles) for up to 75% off, helping make it so most people can get in on the action.

GMG will also have vouchers available on the site giving some extra savings to really compete with the masses out there on the best deals out. They also have a personal list they feel people will want to see as their spotlight examples.

What are we doing when we’re not posting news, reviews or grappling with the untamed beast that is our newswire? Watching things, playing things and since sharing what we watch didn’t come to mind as I wrote this introduction we’re just going to stick to what we’re doing in gaming right now. With that said let’s get started.

(Veeex2 / Gabriel Vega)

My time varies so I tend to invest myself in games I know or can sit down for quick doses of. Currently my time falls in the world of driving sims on the PC with GRID 2, American Truck Simulator and Dirt 3 leading the pack as classics that just feel really easy to get into and bail out of while enjoying myself in the process.

Highlights from GRID 2 mostly center around my obsession with the Touge battles in the game and my R32 GT-R, I usually end up playing Hard and Very Hard for my races to keep it interesting as I also use a Logitech G27 when I play.

GT-R vs Jaguar XKR-S

GT-R vs Viper GTS

American Truck Simulator is an exercise in patience, control, sanity and so much more. Given playing by the rules can often result in some rough spells for concentration (driving 55mph for 120 mile trips with nothing else) there comes a time when you need a side account to just bring a little bit of release from it all.

When your brain slips and you get a random speed trap ticket, there’s little else to care about during your run.

Deadbolt makes a trucker go wild, and not in a remotely safe way, swing trailer swing!

Dirt 3 wasn’t a favorite of mine at launch, the amount of DLC and add-ons just made it feel different. Given it’s been out ages, it goes on sale all the time and there’s the Steam Edition with basically everything included though that has changed as you get all the goodies with it and given the eras of cars included that’s important. Check out some fast travels through the forests.

February Conclusion? I play way too many racing titles right now, it’s probably time to dig back into something with at least some basic substance or add some variety in but that four wheel drift is so fun and I have yet to hit massive semi truck drifting.

(Teck2k / Anthony Davis)

Since getting a PS4 I’ve been pretty much gaming hardcore on and off with a 3-game rotation, but as of late my time has been spend playing Sword of Online Hollow Realization. Being a fan of the anime I figure I’ll give the game a try, and for the most part I’m glad I did. While the game is enjoyable it does have a big negative for me, and that’s is dialogue heavy.

Seriously there’s scenes of dialogue that last for like 10 mins over nothing, if I was reviewing this game it would be a pain dealing with that but since I’m not I can skip over some the scenes and get to the meat of the game and that’s the game play. Sword Art Online Hollow Realization reminds me a lot of PSO, a game I still play too this day, while the controls aren’t as smooth as pso the class customization is what really most the two so similar, down below I put to vids, one of PSO and the other SAO, and you tell if you see the any similarities between the two.

PS4: SAO

PC PSO2 : Warning quality is not good, was my first time streaming

That’s it for now, not sure if we’re doing these weekly yet or if we’re just doing them as we actually dive into new titles. We’ll get back to you on that, in the meantime enjoy our footage and we’ll catch up soon!

It’s Valentines Day and there’s certainly some love in the air already with GOG. They know there are many out there who love to come home after a long day and sit and bask in the warm glow of the thing that brings them so much joy… their PC.

From Wishlists, With Love is their 6-day sale that knocks up to 90% off over 70 of the top wishlisted titles on GOG. Top games on sale include The Witcher 3 GOTY, Dying Light, Arcanum, Psychonauts, Darkest Dungeon and more.

Hitting a 2 year milestone on a game is a pretty big thing with how fast attention shifts with consumers. Rainbow Six Siege is hitting Season 2 and they’re announcing Operation Velvet Shell coming to players on February 7th.

Two new operators and the “Coastline” map will be available to players for PVP and PVE in the Velvet Shell expansion. Set on the shores of Ibiza, operators will have to safeguard the perimeter of a high profile nightclub.

More details will follow on the map during the Six Invitational with a demo live on Twitch.

From February 2-5 those on the Xbox One, Playstation 4 and PC will be able to take on the experience of Rainbow Six Siege and get a taste of the game.

Today the Penny Arcade team is leading a new charge with PAX Unplugged coming to Philadelphia November 17-19, 2017. The event will focus strictly on the tabletop, card and board gaming in the Pennsylvania Convention Center, taking elements from past PAX events to create a familiar atmosphere that lets fans engage with the industry.

PAX Unplugged is set to include musical concerts, tournaments, panels with industry figures to talk industry and the future of tabletop. The goal of Unplugged is to provide the same atmosphere to share enthusiasm and passion for board, card and tabletop gaming and see the latest creations on the market and coming soon.

From the brief:

“With the rise of popularity of board games, we wanted to provide a dedicated space where fans can come together,” said Jerry Holkins, co-founder, Penny Arcade. “We will continue to have tabletop games at every PAX, but Unplugged will focus on stepping away from the TV, monitor and phone to foster face-to-face multiplayer experiences.”

Badges are set to go on sale for PAX Unplugged this Spring, for more updates those will follow on Twitter and their new site.

Looking to boost up your Bethesda fan apparel? Is that Vault-Tec shirt evading you still? Bethesda is blowing out some of their apparel for an extended weekend sale, given items are about 25-50% off it’s a pretty solid deal for fans of Fallout, Doom, Wolfenstein, Dishonored and more.

Keep in mind it’s only on apparel exclusively so everything else is business as usual.

The largest LAN party is coming back, QuakeCon 2017 is set to invade the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center August 24-27 this year, thousands descend on the festival of gaming to take part in the BYOC nature of the LAN party and game the weekend away.

Guests are free to attend and the public is welcome to check out the events and LAN madness. There’s no details on BYOC costs at this point but it’s certainly a nice gesture to the community to explore such a long running event of 22 years etched into the history of gaming.

From the release:

Entering its 22nd year, QuakeCon 2017 will continue to celebrate games and the people who play them by hosting North America’s largest BYOC (Bring-Your-Own-Computer) LAN party. With over two thousand BYOC seats available, participants can showcase their custom computers and join the QuakeCon gamer community to play their favorite games either solo or against one another on the same local area network.

QuakeCon is free for general attendees and open to the public. This year’s event will offer diverse activities for all, including those who choose not to bring their own computer. Attendees are first to see sneak peeks of Bethesda’s upcoming titles and announcements while also attending a wide array of presentations, tournaments, workshops and exhibits from leading tech companies showcasing the newest gaming accessories and hardware.

That licensing shuffle never ends does it? Today Marvel has locked in a deal with Square Enix for a multi-year license that allows for multiple properties from the Marvel universe. Of course this isn’t without guidance and goals, the first of the projects will center around The Avengers and the sequels will build from there, thankfully there’s hope in the project not being a movie tie-in product as their brief reads.

The Avengers project is being designed for gamers worldwide and will be packed with all the characters, environments, and iconic moments that have thrilled longtime fans of the franchise. Featuring a completely original story, it will introduce a universe gamers can play in for years to come. More details on The Avengers project and other games will be announced in 2018.

With Crystal Dynamics and Eidos Montreal involved there’s promise for a product that turns out rewarding to fans looking to experience something new from a Marvel gaming product. Both teams have produced some large hits for Square Enix over the years so the combined talents should deliver something interesting if everything comes together just right.

Let’s hope that Square Enix and Marvel can stick to the idea of providing a unique universe for players to experience Marvel storylines in though, having these teams devote all their energy into an Infinity War game designed to accompany the movie wouldn’t be the best use of that talent pool. I only say this with comments like this also thrown into that brief

The Avengers project is a perfect example of how Marvel is making games a key part of the landscape for Marvel storytelling, alongside comics, television and film.

We’ll have to wait and see if a new unique universe awaits, or a movie tie-in or Kingdom Hearts 3 – Ultron Rising. If they keep the titles as a subtle wink and nod as some of their current tv / streaming franchises do that would be nice but everyone will just have to hold tight for now.

If DXRacer and Playseat weren’t going it for you in the upper tier levels of gaming chairs, SPARCO is now throwing their hat into the ring. The racing seat producer has expressed their interest in tackling the needs of eSports, sim and everyday players who want a comfy chair during their experience.

SPARCO breaks these down into 3 categories for their product line:

GRIP: Their entry level unit introduces contouring, synthetic leather for durability, lumbar adjustments and reclining features. It has the staples of many entry level products you see on the market for gaming chairs.

STINT: For those working from home or practicing in long sessions the design goals change, aiming to ventilate the backrest through a shift in fabric and cushion materials, their goal is improving blood flow which helps keep users focused and comforted.

COMP: Touted as the Luxury model of the group, the series actually has a split within itself as the C and V. The C series takes a unique presentation with a carbon fiber backrest while the V uses a matte black fiberglass backrest. Both units have DNA from the SPX SPARCO seat.

It’s an interesting pursuit on their part, users have paired racing seats from many companies to their own simulation rigs for a while now, having one with casters certainly would be a nice shift but I don’t know if it’s enough to really grab the market as pricing isn’t available.

As someone who uses a DXRacer King Series I’ve been quite happy with my chair and it’s been well over a year since I bought it. While it’s nice to have durable and comfortable seating that caters to my height, it’s also important to cater to the audience differences as enthusiasts aren’t all 5’7″ 155lbs. Features like the C and V series have are interesting but performance gains from a carbon fiber backrest on a wheeled chair aren’t really anything I can claim exist, it’s more of a vanity thing unfortunately.

We’ll have to see where things take off from here when SPARCO gets their products to retail and understand where this line is going from there.

Older console ports to mobile are becoming a trend, Marvel vs Capcom 2 is joining that list on April 25, 2012 with full action for fighting fans. The game is set to pack the full 56 character roster that made the game a hit in arcades and on consoles for so many years. No word remains on online multiplayer options or even how the control scheme has been designed yet but its safe to say this might be best experienced on an iPad over a standard iPhone simply for real estate space on your screen.

For those wondering, judging by the screens this is a port of the classic version of the game not the HD version found later on the Xbox, that should give some hints at how the mechanics will be balanced as well. Check out the gallery for more info and pick it up when it drops next week if you’re up for the challenge.